Adapter attachment for crutches, canes and walkers

ABSTRACT

An adapter attachment for a crutch, cane or walker having a cylindrical barrel adapted to receive a portion of said crutch, cane or walker and secured thereto. A plunger body is reciprocally positioned within said barrel and normally spaced from an apertured bottom plate with a coiled spring interposed normally retracting said plunger and a spike axially attached thereto and projecting outwardly from said barrel. A resilient tip is applied to the lower end of the barrel. A radial pin is secured to said body and is adapted to move relative to a bayonet slot in said barrel for advancing the spike against the action of said spring and anchoring the spike in advanced position to permit use of the crutch over slippery surfaces. The pin is threaded into the body and frictionally engages the spike, further anchoring the same within the body, and limits retraction of the body.

United States Patent Montgomery Aug. 26, 1975 1 1 ADAPTER ATTACHMENT FOR CRUTCHES,

CANES AND WALKERS [75] Inventor: Ferman E. Montgomery, Traverse City, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Ben Brandl, Maple City, Mich. a

part interest [22] Filed: May 1, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 249,103

' [52] US. Cl 135/47; 135/59 [51] Int. CL' A45B 9/04 [58] Field of Search 135/53, 55, 57, 58, 59, 135/45, 47

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,580,295 4/1926 Glowacki 135/59 2,480,382 8/1949 Pagliuso 135/59 2,667,885 2/1954 Pretc v v 135/59 3,448,749 6/1969 Stark 135/53 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 863,678 2/1971 Canada i 135/59 1,035,318 7/1958 Austria 135/53 169,584 4/1951 Germany 808,608 3/1951 Germany 135/59 Primary Examiner-Werner H. Schroeder Assistant ExaminerConrad L. Berman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cullen, Settle, Sloman & Cantor 5 7 ABSTRACT An adapter attachment for a crutch, cane or walker having a cylindrical barrel adapted to receive a portion of said crutch, cane or walker and secured thereto. A plunger body is reciprocally positioned within said barrel and normally spaced from an apertured bottom plate with a coiled spring interposed normally retracting said plunger and a spike axially attached thereto and projecting outwardly from said barrel. A resilient tip is applied to the lower end of the barrel. A radial pin is secured to said body and is adapted to move relative to a bayonet slot in said barrel for advancing the spike against the action of said spring and anchoring the spike in advanced position to permit use of the crutch over slippery surfaces. The pin is threaded into the body and frictionally engages the spike, further anchoring the same within the body, and limits retraction of the body.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures Av/ll PATENTED M182 6 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 FIG-3 FIG-2 FIG-l ADAPTER ATTACHMENT FOR CRUTCHES, CANES AND WALKERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known to provide structurally involved compli cated mechanisms for the attachment of plural spikes within crutches such as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,448,749, 2,437,076 and 2,371,246.

It has been, furthermore, known in the art to construct crutches with spring retained spikes and utilizing a bayonet pin and slot arrangement for holding the spike in advanced position, such as in US. Pat. Nos. 619,235, 47,265, 51,677.

Apparently, there has long existed the need for a simple adapter attachment for an existing crutch or cane or walker, which can be easily mounted upon an existing cane, rather than to construct an entire crutch having a spring biased retractible plunger and spike.

The art of record indicates various involved structures for accomplishing a similar result, which structures are believed impractical and inefficient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter attachment for an existing crutch, cane or walker, and wherein, the adapter itself is self-contained and is adapted for removable mounting over the end of a crutch, cane or walker and is secured thereto in any desired adjusted position.

This and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a crutch with the present adapter attachment secured thereto and with the spike projected for engagement with the ground surface;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary partially sectioned view of the present adapter attachment for a crutch, cane or walker for use as shown in FIG. 1, with the spike projected;

FIG. 3 is a similar view with the spike retracted;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the present adapter attachment, partially broken away;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary partially broken away and sectioned view of a cane to which the present adapter attachment has been secured.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention for illustration, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, the present adapter attachment, generally indicated at 11, is shown for illustration, adjustably positioned between the converging struts of a conventional type of crutch l3 and affixed thereto by the fasteners 17.

The resilient tip 19 is mounted over the lower end of the adapter attachment and encloses a normally retracted, but in FIG. 1, forwardly projected spike for engagement with a slippery ground surface G.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section on an increased scale, showing the assembly and construction of the adapter attachment, which may be mounted upon the end of a cane C as shown in FIG. 5, or may be attached to a crutch in the manner shown in FIG. l.

The present adapter attachment includes a cylindrical metallic barrel 23 having a series of longitudinally spaced opposed apertures 25 adapted to receive suitable fasteners such as fasteners 17, FIG. 1, or the fasteners 59-63 of FIG. 5 for attachment to the lower end of a crutch or cane.

In the form of the adapter attachment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a plastic cap 27 is mounted over the upper open end of barrel 23, which upper open end is broken off in FIG. 4.

Disc-like end plate 29, apertured axially at 31, is snugly and frictionally projected up into the lower open end of said barrel closing the same.

The elongated metallic cylindrical body 33 is movably positioned within said barrel and has an elongated axial bore 35 into which is frictionally projected elongated spike 37, whose lower pointed end 21 movably projects down through end plate 29, as shown in FIG. 4.

The conventional tip 19 in the present construction is made of an oil-resistant plastic material, such as polyethelene or the like or some equivalent plastic and may be normally employed upon the conventional crutch, cane or walker.

Before assembly of the present adapter attachment to the crutch, its tip is removed and thereafter the said tip or a corresponding tip 19 is employed. For this purpose, there is provided extending from one end of the tip, an elongated bore adapted to snugly and frictionally receive the lower end of barrel 23.

Said bore terminates in a counterbore of reduced diameter adapted to loosely and slidably receive the pointed end 21 of said spike and which is adapted to be retracted to the enclosed position within the tip, FIG. 4, or projected forwardly thereof as shown in dotted lines, as well as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Pin 43 with lead 41 slidably projects through the upright portion of bayonet slot 45 and its inner threaded end 44 projects into and is secured to body 33. Additionally, pin 43-41 forming the part of a bayonet slot and pin arrangement is in frictional operative and retaining engaging registry with spike 37 to further assist in anchoring same within body 33.

The bayonet slot includes at its lower end the transversely extending portion 47 into which position the headed pin 43 moves as the body 33 and attached spike is projected downwardly and outwardly for anchoring the same in the forwardly projected position shown in dotted lines, FIG. 4 and in solid lines, FIG. 2. A suitable coiled spring 49 and an additional axially aligned spring 55 are nested within said barrel with a suitable stablizing washer 53 interposed between said springs for loose guiding engagement with respect to the interior wall of said barrel.

The upper end of spring 49 is nested and retained within a counterbore 51 in the body 33. The lower end of spring 55 bears against bottom plate 29. Thus, body 33 is under spring tension and at all times, biased upwardly to the stop position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 with the headed pin 43 engaging said barrel at the upper end of slot 45.

MODIFICATION In the modification shown in FIG. 5, the present adapter assembly 51 represents that portion of FIG. 4

which terminates at the end cap 39 which is normally projected over the upper end of the barrel 53' and frictionally retained therein by the depending resilient retainers 40, forming a part of said cap.

This cap 39 is removed as is also the conventional tip 19 from cane C of FIG. 5. Thereafter, the lower end portion of the cane at 57 is snugly and frictionally projected down into bore 55' of barrel 53' and is secured thereto by a pair of fasteners 59 which extend through corresponding opposed apertures 61 in said barrel at its upper end, through apertures in the cane, and are anchored in place by wing nuts 63.

The remainder of the adapter construction for the cane is exactly the same as shown and described with respect to FIG. 4.

In FIG. 5, the pointed end 21 of spike 37 is shown projected beyond the lower end of the tip 19 for cooperation with the ground surface in the same manner as shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 5, the barrel 53' may be elongated and terminate in the cap 27, FIGS. 2 and 3, adapted for attachment to crutch 13 of FIG. 1.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claims.

I claim:

1. An adapter attachment for a crutch, cane or walker as an article of manufacture comprising;

an elongated cylindrical barrel adapted for attachment to a crutch, cane or walker, having a plurality of transverse apertures to receive fasteners for se curing to said crutch, cane or walker;

a centrally apertured botton plate within the lower open end of said barrel and frictionally retained therein;

a cylindrical plunger body slidably and reciprocally mounted within said barrel and spaced from said plate;

an elongated spike at one end snugly projected up into an axial bore in said body, and with its pointed end normally positioned through said bottom plate;

a resilient tip having an axial bore frictionally positioned over the end of said barrel and having an axial counterbore of reduced diameter loosely receiving said spike enclosing the same when retracted;

said spike adapted on adjustment of said body to project beyond said tip to assist walking upon an icy or slippery ground surface;

spring means interposed in compression between said bottom plate and body normally urging said body to a retracted position;

a bayonet slot in said barrel;

a headed pin normally positioned on said slot projected radially into and secured to said body, the slot upon one end retainingly engaging said pin, limiting retraction of said body and spike; manual movement of said pin along said slot and into the offset end thereof projecting said spike beyond the end of said top, compressing said spring means and holding said body against retraction;

said pin being threaded into said body and frictionally and retainingly engaging said spike;

said spring means consisting of a pair of springs arranged end to end; a stablizing washer interposed between said springs and loosely engaging said barrel; one end of one spring being nested and projected up into a counterbore in said body, an end of the other spring bearing against said bottom plate;

and a cap removably and frictionally secured upon the upper open end of said barrel, adapted for removal to permit insertion of the lower end of a crutch, cane or walker frictionally down thereinto,

having first removed the crutch tip. 

1. An adapter attachment for a crutch, cane or walker as an article of manufacture comprising; an elongated cylindrical barrel adapted for attachment to a crutch, cane or walker, having a plurality of transverse apertures to receive fasteners for securing to said crutch, cane or walker; a centrally apertured botton plate within the lower open end of said barrel and frictionally retained therein; a cylindrical plunger body slidably and reciprocally mounted within said barrel and spaced from said plate; an elongated spike at one end snugly projected up into an axial bore in said body, and with its pointed end normally positioned through said bottom plate; a resilient tip having an axial bore frictionally positioned over the end of said barrel and having an axial counterbore of reduced diameter loosely receiving said spike enclosing the same when retracted; said spike adapted on adjustment of said body to project beyond said tip to assist walking upon an icy or slippery ground surface; spring means interposed in compression between said bottom plate and body normally urging said body to a retracted position; a bayonet slot in said barrel; a headed pin normally positioned on said slot projected radially into and secured to said body, the slot upon one end retainingly engaging said pin, limiting retraction of said body and spike; manual movement of said pin along said slot and into the offset end thereof projecting said spike beyond the end of said top, compressing said spring means and holding said body against retraction; said pin being threaded into said body and frictionally and retainingly engaging said spike; said spring means consisting of a pair of springs arranged end to end; a stablizing washer interposed between said springs and loosely engaging said barrel; one end of one spring being nested and projected up into a counterbore in said body, an end of the other spring bearing against said bottom plate; and a cap removably and frictionally secured upon the upper open end of said barrel, adapted for removal to permit insertion of the lower end of a crutch, cane or walker frictionally down thereinto, having first removed the crutch tip. 